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Governor minor can the Democrats win in one thousand nine hundred sixty four if your crime prevention program progressed into taking off or has the Boston waterfront commission been achieving its toughest change inaugurated or your candidate for the vice presidency or the answers to these and other questions listen now to the campus press conference in which college editors interviewed prominent personalities in the news here by transcription do introduce the members of the panel and their guest is your moderator Marvin sleeper award winning reporter for The New York drown a lot Merican Good evening welcome to another edition of campus press conference tonight our guest is from across the river the governor of New Jersey the Honorable Robert B. minor that's a well known name today not only in his home state but here in New York and as a matter of fact throughout the nation and yet until he was elected governor he was practically a political unknown despite the fact that his political activity started when he was twenty at that green age he was campaigning for Ralph meddlers presidential bid twelve years later Bob miner age thirty two was running for office himself and almost made it he was defeated by fifty votes in the race for state Senate following service in World War two as a naval officer he returned to the political wars Jay Parnell Thomas beat him out for a seat in Congress but then in one nine hundred forty seven Mr Minor ran for state senator and made it but no reelection but he lost out by sixty one votes. And one hundred fifty three New Jersey's Democratic organization cannot find a willing candidate for grand of governor to be led to the slaughter following President Eisenhower's sweeping victory they finally settle on Bob minor and are terrific upset he beat Republican Paltrow is by one hundred fifty four thousand votes for the first time in ten years the state had a Democrat as governor so let's find out how he's been faring over there and is with complete Republican controlled legislature here to ask the questions our campers press conference reporters can summon Dinger of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism Jim Fowler the Fordham RAM Bob Bob Fletcher of the Rutgers Targum and Bob Feinberg of the Hunter College Al How about the first question from you Bob for governor minor league here is also presidential election year I'll be going to find a Democrat in the White House come one hundred fifty seven. I think we can elect a Democratic governor so that I mean a Democrat. Democratic president of course I think it will depend upon the candidate it will depend upon economic conditions at the time it will depend upon how the issues are presented to the people but he think the Democrats will put up well all I can say is the leading contender at the present moment appears to be at least even some with the keep off or strike and numerous other candidates are following in the various orders depending upon which pollster you observe who's been up. To which column would you find a New York New Jersey delegation income potential time. I'm headed to I've talked with some of our political leaders and our attitude is that we should make a commitment prior to the time our delegates are elected our delegates are elected in the April primary by direct vote of the people and after conferring with them. We should try to ascertain who they're for and go to the convention with an open mind or. Decide on who they want just prior to the convention. Personally Who is your choice Governor I want I think as later of a party in New Jersey as leader of the party of that I should try to let public opinion gel I've said that I was very favorable to Stevens in one thousand nine hundred two and always held him in high regard I've also got along very well with the senator key fall for he came in the state and he was the only person who came in the state during my campaign largely because he had exposed like a law enforcement in certain areas and he came back to point out that the Republican Party hadn't made those corrections so that we have problems here. Just like we have over here in New York at the moment do you think the question of whether or not President President I did not run for reelection will have any effect on the democratic choice. I don't think too much according to the present standing of the contenders. Governor minor you referred to a lack of law enforcement and certain counties in New Jersey during the Republican administration in your inaugural address you promised to say that this program was pushed forward could you tell us how far ahead it is gone since that time I think we've made some real progress in line with the campaign promises and the statement I made in the inaugural address we've. There were a great many. Prosecutor any great number of indictments in Bergen County which had not had which had not been prosecuted and there was a great deal of question as to whether there was a lot adequate law enforcement there sent a special deputy attorney general and some assistance up there through the attorney general's action and the they put in a new system of taking care of prosecutions of cooperating with the local police after they had finished we appointed a remember the name of guy Cholesky who has been doing an excellent job with some capable assistance from that county I think Bergen County is has an excellent law enforcement presently and I think it's largely the result first of the deputies set up there and some of his assistants and then by the choice of a competent prosecutor who is doing an excellent job in state government we conducted a number investigations we have a criminal investigation section and where constantly trying to alert our prosecutors throughout the twenty one counties as to the need of trying to apprehend gamblers trying to eliminate or to and force the law impartially Well Governor minor nineteen fifty three you made the statement that you would see that the remaining vestiges of the Hague Dynasty would crumble into dust and that recently we have seen in the newspapers a report of wastage found in Jersey City. A gentleman who was present. In the state of Florida was said to a pocketed nineteen thousand four hundred ninety nine dollars. He was a member of the office's machines and he quote think operating Could you tell us that anything about that I think you're referring to the results of an investigation which was carried on by a Mr Lerner and who was appointed as a result of a. An order by a superior court judge we have many areas in New Jersey where you have complete local government or vice touchup they have the right to operate their own government now if they don't observe the provisions of particular statutes the matter is turned over to a prosecutor and the prosecutor is expected to carry out. A count to present matters to the grand jury of any wrongdoing given to him now as I understand it with respect to this Lerner probe some indictments have already been returned in these matters which have been reported upon and I would assume that the prosecutor who happened to be a Republican appointee of the previous administration I would assume that he would do its job there as a matter of fact I try to replace him I tried promoting him to the court and wanted to appoint a prosecutor of my own choosing there but the Republican legislature said we'll leave him there and we won't put him in the courts. And a perfectly good qualifications for the court in this matter fact he was. Previously had been a district court judge now many of these things are called for. Responsible citizenship at the local level when state governments can't go out and see that each county government on parade statically on that each local government operates adequately were responsible for enforcing for certain state laws and we try to carry out our our our job in that regard but we we cannot be a substitute for responsible citizenship. Putting into office the right people in counties in this polity I don't know if Ken was talking about the same thing but last month a Democratic administration the Jersey City was accused of passing the public payroll was with well paid jobs a little never showed up for work as an instance can the state come in here and supersede local government to find out where that generally the prosecutor will not prosecute them at a deputy attorney general or a deputy attorney general can be selected by the attorney general to present the matters for instance we had some scandal with respect to the board of elections which was called to our attention we turned it over to the prosecutor he said I can't I can't because I used to work for the election board and I think he said My father is now working there so we sent a special deputy attorney general who sat with a grand jury and a large number of indictments were returned and they will be tried by a deputy attorney general at state government but any of these other matters they go to the prosecutor and of course where I have to select the prosecutor I feel I bear the responsibility but if there is a prosecutor who was there by reason of a previous administration I have to accept him and work with him and unless I can show he's guilty of culpable wrongdoing I can supply a name that proved a pretty tough problem working with people from the previous in the scouts and generally corruption generally the prosecutors we that we've inherited we call them and we have meetings with them and we've been getting pretty good. Operation. They're basically lawyers and they're basically acquainted with their responsibility Well what about this payroll padding and now what stage of the investigation is that and at the moment while I understand there's been some indictments returned you say the Lerner. Made this investigation as a result of an order of the scary Court heard a lot of testimony now he's making his report and I believe ten installments one each week that method I assume is being used so that he'll get more proud less than even if he has just one report your newspaper man would know something about that and that the same time these matters have been presented to the grand jury and there's been some or at the indictments returned they will be tried by the prosecutor not by they have stayed attorney by the attorney general or a deputy attorney general unless the prosecutor says I can't do it or unless we have some evidence that he's not doing it adequately moving back to the east side of the Hudson River for a while you mean a suburb of major I think both of. Them. The waterfront of the Port of New York has had consistent labor problems which have resulted in. Threats of loss of shipping you and Governor Harman have appointed a by state authority to deal with these problems and regulate work on a PH Are you satisfied with what's been done so far I want to call your attention Bob that. The legislation which sets off the by state commission gives us no authority gives the commission no authority to regulate labor relations the employer on the employee and the absolute right to set up their conditions of employment and that sort of thing they also can go before the National Labor Relations Act to have any dispute settle in that regard we have the power or at least the by state commission has the power to license the people who will work it's appear as if they have a criminal record and if they show signs of not being a. BT I'm citizens we can bar them from the waterfront but we can't and are into the negotiations between employer and employee so that the power of the by state commission is a somewhat respected in that regard this commission I was sent up originally by Governor Gus going governor doing and the legislation was in a Republican administration in both states I inherited it I've tried to follow up the policy set forth in that statute and I try to put on there the best lawyer I know how often the best lawyer I know just so foreign from who I think as I approach the problem with with a. Understanding and with intelligence and has tried to carry out the purpose of the loft you're not going to change the situation overnight but I think they have been improving the situation by borrowing from the peers those people who are obviously interested in their own selfish interest and who have had bad backgrounds someone with familiarity with dirty politics asked me to ask you this question do you think that it's going to hurt your vote getting in Hudson County the fact that you've got a sided with the waterfront Commission against the longshoreman well or there's a plus and minus in every move you make I think that the longshoreman the fellow who does the work is an honorable sort of a fellow he's got his wife and his children and he's a chart scholar he's interested in the community would like to get as much back. The money he deserves for working on the pier I think he is going to respect the people who are trying to do this job and if he hears our explanation of it I think he's going to be with us they're going to be some hope profit by the kickback or profit by help rage of profit advice. By favoritism they won't like it and some of their friends might vote again it's against us but I think the real longshoreman and they were for responsible citizens and we're beyond our. Side so I think it'll be a net gain for us speaking about things I gather in Europe in your county I just talked to receive increased revenues from the Port Authority that's a problem that's often been discussed not only by what some by it but by people in Essex as well they suggest that sense that the Port Authority is a public body and doesn't pay taxes that there should be payments made to the municipality where their activities are located in lieu of taxes. Now for instance when we took over the Brooklyn here. With the prime New York and some of them right up all the time there's them some arrangements made by which they're going to get some payments in lieu of taxes but the amount will increase that will probably remain the same as it was at the time the Port Authority put over the pier. If you make substantial payments and lower taxes you only increase the need of additional revenue the charge is vital for the target to pay for those like activity there if the municipality really reiners a basic service by reason of that activity being there then you can consider the need of it but I think generally if you have an extensive practice of paying money to the municipality that you've got to realize the martyr's there's going to pay for the people in the use of facilities and parts are going to have to pay for Gov you believe that regarding travel between New Jersey and New York a rapid transit system possibly located somewhere in the jersey matters is a necessity for easing traffic congestion and there have been subject to some suggestion made that we should tie up by the various terminal facilities in the drawer as a matter of hours it sounds good it looks good that it may be in that type the area may be Island on the on the Central Railroad and they have to Manhattan tildes and get most of the people coming in in one direction so that you would do utilize what facilities you have you've got to consider how much it would cost unfortunately kind. Potations throughout the country today is going into that losing area municipalities have found that they have to subsidize it railroads tell us that commuter traffic doesn't pay the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Company five members from New Jersey and five from New York are studying the problem I hope that they'll examining all of the facts they have every reason to believe they wealth and when they're reporters and we'll try to study the recommendations to this just to see whether we can work out a feasible plan which we can adopt by legislation or by negotiation with some of these companies. Governor mine or why did it take you four months to remove Superior Court Judge Frank take a lawyer junior from the bench and find out that his time expired on September fifth think could do explain that so well as I pointed out at the press conference I had checked into the mountain originally and fifty for the secretary of state on his box as a result of being advised by the Supreme Court which controls the court system in New Jersey certified that he had tenure and I had checked into it in fifty four and I had concluded through some advice I received from attorneys that he did not have tenure I had hoped to continue the practice of reappointing most judges who had the first seven years the seven year term our practice is to reappoint for life and I hope to continue this practice and it just occurred to me when some of these instances were coming up that I ought to check it again I didn't ask the attorney general for the opinion in the its attorney general came through with the opinion I didn't realize when his term expired until I looked it up about ten days ago voted that ultimately fall a new governor to the time and wonder well it who some people can say it that ultimately falls on the court itself because the court certifies the payroll the court had certified he had ten years. My attorney general has concluded he did not have to and for what I mean is before a period of four months is gone by Shouldn't there be someone appointed by the state well generally when I judge his term expires he leaves the bench brought here that this was a sort of a special such a Russian an interpretation of a new nine hundred forty seven constitution this probably won't write arise again. He had been appointed after the adoption of the Constitution as I recall it but before the judiciary article was declared effective and the content of what has been made that he had. He had tenure when my attorney general rule that he did not. The reason given for his removal wasn't tempered conduct but what specifically was this and temporary conduct Well I merely pointed out. That there were three M's and says which pointed up that he was guilty of intemperate conduct one. Twenty seven taxpayers and Delaware township in Camden County had complained and asked for an investigation similar to this learner investigation and he cross-examined the petitioners when the statute says you shall do it on the summary manner and he also allowed the minister from officials to testify chief justice Chief Chief Justice Vanderbilt said his inquiry was in the nature of an inquisition this is the Supreme Court criticizing him and opinion later on there was a minister wrote a letter to the editor about a case where this judge had. And where this judge had granted the right granted the Taverners the right to put on a Sunday sales question on the ballot and the minister. Use some phraseology which the judge didn't like and he held him in contempt criminal contempt that's like an indictment that had to be tried by a that had to be tried by another superior court judge he dismissed the proceeding and said this action of the minister in writing this letter to the newspaper was not criminal contempt and then. More recently the grand jury in Monmouth County investigating some hobbles in which some people live with. Parted in a present month that these conditions were disagreeable and that the judge voluntarily upon the receipt of the indictment or the presentment said Puerto Rico was the filthiest place I've ever seen those are the three instances I cited which indicated not in my words but in the words of the judge in the words of a fellow member of the Superior Court and the chief justice of New Jersey that his conduct was intemperate. Governor how do you hope to pay for a jersey to expand its school and highway program. Jim when we've done it by expedient methods from time to time over the years we've been able to avoid a sales and income tax because as a political issue both parties have said they're against a sales and in sometimes what and we've taken what taxes we could lay our hands on it from time to time the highway program most of our emphasis has to be on interstate roads and we're hoping that the federal program will be adopted if it is that I think without imposing much more in the way of gasoline taxes or motor fuel taxes we could do the program because it calls for heavy federal contribution this would be one type of federal aid that we get more Rob Wi-Fi in the way of taxes on the school program we have increased in my administration. Double the amount of state aid for schools the construction program I'm willing to sit with the legislature which is of a party opposite to me and try to work out a joint proposition so that we arrive at some method of taxation we can both say we except joint responsibility if passed and how would you treat the bill sponsored by state senators Dumont McCain and Forbes which would increase the set the tax on cigarettes by two cents I never said I want I'll do in advance of advance of a building put on my desk but I am willing to sit down with the Republican leadership and try to work out a tax that both of us would be agreed upon and we take the credit and the blame together but they've taken the out of two dogs give you the tax and you have a take it or leave it or they take on the attitude you know name a tax and then we're criticized for it. Yes go ahead and getting back to politics for a moment if you were to be asked to run for vice president would you accept that's been a rumor around that you are one of the can I and I have frequently I'm not a candidate and I think I think this much should be taken into consideration we've made some progress as a Democratic Party in New Jersey I think since we were successful enough to have a Democratic governor first one in. In thirteen years that was elected the first one in ten years and actual operation we've been making progress now if I were to vacate the office of governor the president of the Senate and the Senate is fourteen to seven Republican and he'll always be a Republican would take over in a state such as New Jersey the governor named eleven of the fourteen cabinet officers money division the bureau had names all the judges all of the prosecutors as their terms expired. I mediately a Republican acting governor would have it within his power to change most of the key leading personnel in state government is that good or is a bad in that case to do you consider leading intended for the vice presidency in the light of the choice of saying No wasn't liberal Democrat as Hiram and Stevenson Orca father as president. I haven't analyzed it carefully I've heard a lot of names mentioned but I'm not. If you name a few I might give your reaction to what you think are going to be the big issues in fifty six. I think. Peace and Prosperity a lot of the. Big issues well if you have. If you haven't got a recession and it becomes a major issue I think. The real issues are have has the party in power attempted to flammable the needs of the greatest number of people and I think you have possible issues in the handling of the T V a power problem the handling of the leasing of offshore lands the problem of Hell's Canyon public power development you have the more recent problem of leasing public lands which were supposed to be used for mining and turn they were used for lumbering instances like that ought to make a great deal of difference I think the foreign policy is going to shape up as an important issue Governor minor you know excuse me sir but about foreign policy. And a recent article in Life magazine Secretary of State Dulles stated that he took bold action in Indochina Formosan Korea your party has has criticized his statement of policy could you tell us how your party. To toward foreign policy defers. In this one respect I had particular reference to Mr Truman's intervention in Korea Well I think even the voters even the most violent critics of President Truman admitted that it was the only course as a matter of fact I think Vice President Nixon on the anniversary of the Korean conflict said that it was almost the only course we could adopt took a somewhat different attitude them when he was campaigning for the vice president say Yes sir but that also was a bold action lesson there's no question it was bold action but you don't boast secretary of state about holding the club over people whose whose. Respect you want to command so that you can. Fight off the totalitarian effort. I don't think you boast about having nuclear power and you know if you're going to use it on anybody and. Any particular moment another thing I say the Republican Party the whole tone of that article was only we can do it and I think this business of seeking peace in the world is a is a is an effort on the part of one hundred sixty million citizens not on some particular person who happens to be in the government at that particular time or or one party you feel that the Democrats will be successful in blowing the peace and prosperity plank of the Republican sky high I don't know someone asked me what the issue is where I think Mr sleeper said what they are and I said peace and prosperity I think generally people are going to be selfish enough to say. Well are we going to have more peace or are we going to have. Equal or greater prosperity with this party or that on that basis many of them are going to be governor regarding the arguments of the price of points that have come up recently how do you think the New Jersey farmers particularly the poultry farmers have been very under the current legislation well our economy of such that we do not a New Jersey fare very well under any federal aid program there is no federal aid program for the poultry farmers I think thirty seven cents out of every dollar of our agricultural dollar comes from the production of eggs that outside of loans for seed or for financing there's no price supported all last year are poultry people had a hectic time and fortunately the market's come back on its own largely out of natural forces and they're doing better. Secondly on a grain support program it's not advisable to it doesn't help New Jersey because Governor and I know that in kind of time it's just about. Right out but just taking a few moments to sum up do you think that our next president will be a Democrat that's all according to who the candidate will be and what that could economic conditions are at the time as far as you're concerned you're not a candidate for vice president you feel that if you were you vacated your office the Republican acting governor would take over and a lot of the good that you've done for the state would be lost you feel the issues in the last election will be peace and prosperity but there are a lot of other issues the Democrats will have that will appeal to the great mass of the people is that about correction or I think it is I think it's a relatively fair a fair summary Well thank you very much as a grudging compliment. Thank you very much for being with us you've been tuned to a campus press conference with Governor Robert B. minor of New Jersey questioning him or canned salmon Dinger of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism Jim fowle of the Fordham RAM Bob Fisher of the Rutgers Targum and Bob Feinberg of the Hunter College arrow Many thanks for Tony and a very pleasant week to you all your moderator Marvin sleeper's city hall reporter for The New York Journal American invites you to be with us next Sunday evening at nine we are interested in your reactions to this program address them to campus press conference W N Y C New York seven This has been a transcribed public service feature of your city station.